Respect for Colin Kaepernick, disdain for Chan Gailey and fondness for what Kyle Shanahan is doing as San Francisco's new head coach.

49ers wide receiver Jeremy Kerley shared his feelings — good and bad — about three individuals who have helped shape his NFL career during a Thursday night interview with co-host Phil Savage and me on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Let’s start with Kaepernick. Thirty-eight of Kerley’s career-high 64 receptions last season came after Kaepernick replaced Blaine Gabbert as San Francisco’s starting quarterback in Week 6.

When the 49ers acquired Kerley last August in a trade with Detroit, Kaepernick already had created a major stir with his refusal to stand for the pre-game national anthem. Kerley believes the fallout from that political stance is the reason Kaepernick has yet to sign with another team after being released by San Francisco earlier this offseason.

"Everybody is kind of going with emotion," Kerley said. "If one team denies him, now another team does and another team does. It’s kind of a cycle. All these guys talk to each other."

Kerley said he’s surprised more people in general don’t ask him about his season playing with Kaepernick.

"I wish they would," Kerley said. "I would speak very highly of him.

"First, if you don’t stand for something then you don’t stand for nothing. He spoke up about a subject at a time where maybe just the right people weren’t stepping up. He did it, he stood behind it. He made the sacrifice that maybe not a lot of guys would have made knowing that the consequences would be what they were."

Kerley then added, "He’s been a man of his word. He still gives back. He’s promoting change.

"Do I agree with it? Who’s to say. Everybody goes about their business a different way. But do I have much, much respect for him? Hell yeah."

Kerley doesn’t share nearly as much admiration for Gailey, his former offensive coordinator with the Jets.

Kerley had inked a four-year, $16 million contract extension in the months prior to Gailey’s arrival as Jets offensive coordinator in 2015. Kerley believes Gailey never saw the same positive attributes in him as the deposed coaching and front office staff that had tendered him the new deal.

Kerley started just one game in 2015 and finished with career lows in catches (16) and receiving yards (152). Kerley was then released in the 2016 offseason and subsequently signed by Detroit.

"Chan was just one of those type of guys that has his mind set up before he sees whoever’s there,” Kerley said. “I’m assuming this is my time. I’m going to play or I get to maximize my play. It was the exact opposite.

"I can’t speak highly of a guy who never really let me have an opportunity to prove (myself). And then the fact that he would always bring in guys that were my same height or same size after guys went down or whatever happened, it brought me to believe that maybe he just doesn’t really like me."

Kerley said Gailey’s snub provided motivation for him to work even harder.

"What changed a lot for me was in my fifth (season) in New York was somebody telling me that for whatever reason I wasn’t good enough to play in that offense or wasn’t a fit," Kerley said. “Even though I knew I was, it still pissed me off to the point where I was just like, ‘What can I do to try to separate myself or stand out more?’

"2015 was by far my worst year in the league. I absolutely hated the NFL. I wasn’t getting any playing time at receiver. I was just strictly punt return. Me and Chan Gailey were always … We didn’t see eye-to-eye. I didn’t have a lot of respect for him. It was probably the same for him."

One person Kerley has quickly gained admiration for is Shanahan since the new coach was hired in February to replace the fired Chip Kelly. Unlike most of San Francisco’s players from the 2016 roster heading into free agency this offseason, Shanahan valued Kerley enough to re-sign him to a three-year, $8.4 million contract.

"I see why a lot of people love Kyle," Kerley said. “He is a good coach and great teacher. It’s one thing to help guys learn an offense. It’s another to be involved and taking your time in breaking certain things down. Most wouldn’t.

"He definitely understands laying the foundation. He’s working on that right now. I definitely think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Kerley said that was another reason he re-signed even though the 49ers are rebuilding after last year’s 2-14 campaign.

"My biggest thing coming back to San Fran was just finishing what I saw that was there,” he said. “Although a lot of guys are gone and a lot of coaches, San Fran is a great place. It’s a championship (franchise). It’s something I want to be a part of."

And he’s not shy about saying that, either.

Alex Marvez can be heard from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.